Paris Jackson's tattoos cover up 'dark past' and 'scars'

Paris Jackson admits her tattoos have helped cover up her "dark past" and feelings of "self-hatred".

The 18-year-old aspiring actress - the daughter of the late Michael Jackson - only turned 18 in April, but has already had an impressive 23 inkings on her body.

However, to Paris - who was only 11 when her father died in 2009 - the pieces are more than just body art as each time she looks in the mirror she remembers how far she has come since being sectioned to a psychiatric hospital for three months in 2013 after an overdose.

Alongside a picture showing off her inked forearms on Instagram, she wrote: "the craftsmanship of tattoos will always be a controversy. some people like them, some people absolutely hate them. i appreciate art, i always have. especially when that art means something to me. today i can look at my inner forearms and see art that has meaning for me, i don't see a dark past anymore. my scars and self-hatred have been covered up by loving marks, creativity , ingenuity.. and depth. sure i will always carry my past with me, but i see ink as a way of changing for the better , always improving. they represent the strength for me. i look back at my old self and then i look in the mirror, and i see a fighter looking back at me. (sic)"

Paris - who is the daughter of Debbie Rowe - has vowed to continue "fighting" and hopes that she inspires other people to be "strong" and know that they are "not alone".

She continued: "i'll always keep fighting, and encouraging others to stay strong. we all go through hell every now and then but it makes us the warriors of love we were meant to be. so to anyone struggling, it gets better. you're not alone (sic)"

One of Paris' tattoos is her father's 'Dangerous' album cover, her second permanent tribute to the late King of Pop, after she had the words 'Queen of My Heart' in her dad's handwriting etched onto her left wrist.